Nail inserting device

ABSTRACT

A machine for inserting a headless nail at either end of an elongated wooden member has a table top on which one or more upstanding member guides are adjustably secured, the guides having a flat surface, against which the member may be manually secured, extending longitudinally. A first block is adjustably secured on the table top and a second block is slideable in a longitudinally extending slot in the table top in a direction toward the first block by means of a foot pedal and spring biased in the other direction. Each block has a horizontally extending hole therein for reception of one end of a nail whereby the nails are forced into the ends of the member when the foot pedal is depressed.

United States Patent Thomas [451 July 11, 1972 [54] NAIL INSERTING DEVICE 21 App]. No.: 125,519

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,236,208 8/1917 Olmstead ..227/152 Nelson ..227/152 Primary Examiner-Granville Y. Custer, Jr. Attorney-Bruns & Jenney [57] ABSTRACT A machine for inserting a headless nail at either end of an elongated wooden member has a table top on which one or more upstanding member guides are adjustably secured, the guides having a flat surface, against which the member may be manually secured, extending longitudinally. A first block is adjustably secured on the table top and a second block is slideable in a longitudinally extending slot in the table top in a direction toward the first block by means of a foot pedal and spring biased in the other direction. Each block has a horizontally extending hole therein for reception of one end of a nail whereby the nails are forced into the ends of the member when the foot pedal is depressed.

2 Claims, 7 Drawing figures FA'TE'N'TEDJUL 11 I972 8,675,839

INVENTOR.

/ g 7 MERRITT H.THOMAS ATTORNEYJ NAIL INSERTING DEVICE BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION This invention relates to a manually operated machine for inserting a nail in either end of an elongated wooden member.

Recent developments in orchard care promote the use of sticks with a nail projecting from each end for training freshly sprouted branches of fruit trees to that they are spaced from neighboring branches and extend from the tree horizontally rather than vertically. Since a large number of these sticks may be required by a single orchard, a machine for making the sticks rapidly is required. Hammering the nails into the ends of the sticks by ordinary means is too time consuming to be profitable. I

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention contemplates a table-like structure having a sliding block movable toward a fixed block by means of a foot pedal whereby high pressure may be applied. Each block has a horizontally extending hole therein for containing one end of a headless nail so that when one block is pressed toward the other with a stick therebetween the projecting portion of the nail is pressed into each end of the stick. Angle iron means on the table top provide an upwardly extending surface against which the stick may be manually held so that the stick is secured on the table top in position for receiving the nails at the centers of its ends.

The fixed block may be secured on the table top in a plurality of positions for sticks of different lengths and the angle iron stick-positioning means is supplied in two parts so that only one is used for shorter sticks. The machine may be used with equal facility for round sticks or rectangular sticks.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a fruit tree showing branch training sticks in position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a machine according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a stick assembled by the machine of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the top of the machine of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an end elevational view of the machine top of FIG. 4 as viewed from the right therein;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 66 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the machine top shown in FIG. 4, portions of the machine being shown in section.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, a fruit tree 10 is shown as having an older branch 11 and two younger branches or shoots 12 and 13. Sticks 14, more clearly seen in FIG. 3, are placed between branch 11 and branches 12 and 13 so that the latter branches will grow spaced from branch 11 and fruit on branches 12 and 13 may grow without interference from branch 11. The nails 15 at the end of sticks 14, of course, maintain the sticks in position. After a period of time the sticks 14 can be removed and the branches 12 and 13 remain spaced from branch 11.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the machine comprises a table top 21 of metal plate supported on legs 22 with suitable cross braces 23 secured together as by welding. A foot pedal andlever 24 pivotally secured at one end to one of the legs 22 at 25 has a limited up and down movement.

Stick guides 26 and 27 comprise angle irons each having one leg transversely slotted at 28 for the bolts 29 which fasten them to the machine top 21, as best seen in FIG. 4. Their other legs, aligned longitudinally of the top, project upward from the top providing a flat surface against which the stick 14 can be manually held.

A fixed block 30 of bar stock at one end of the top has a pair of downwardly projecting threaded studs, not shown, projecting through a selected pair of holes 31 in the top for attachment by suitable nuts thus securing the block on the table top extending longitudinally of the top. The holes 31 extend in series longitudinally of the top so that the position of block 30 may be selected for different lengths of stick l4.

Adjacent the block 30 a yoke 32 is secured by a nut 33 to the top 21 and extends down for carrying a suitable shaft on which a pulley 34 is rotatably mounted.

At the other end of the top 21 a movable block 35 of bar stock projects up through a longitudinally extending slot 36 aligned with the holes 31. Block 35 is integral with one end of an elongated bar 37 which is slideable under the top 21 in a pendant U shaped guide 38 welded to the bottom of the top.

A flexible wire cable 40, best seen in FIG. 2, is secured to the end of bar 37 and extends under the top 21 over pulley 34 and is secured to the pedal lever 24, as shown.

A pair of springs 41 extend under top 21 from a bolt 42 through the inner end of bar 37 to a pair of bolts 43 extending down from the top, as best seen in FIG. 7, so that the bolt 42 is normally biased against the end of guide 38 as shown in FIG.

As best seen in FIG. 2, blocks 30 and 35 each has a nail receiving hole 45 extending horizontally inward from the center of its end face which faces the other block for a distance substantially equal to one half the desired length of the nail 15 in the stick 14. Small nails with their heads clipped off or headless nails known as brads are used, the pointed end preferably being inserted in the hole 45.

It will be apparent that the stick 14 may be round, as shown in FIG. 3, or may be rectangular in cross section, preferably square. For a so-called 1 inch square stick 14 the centers of the holes 45 are spaced upward from the top surface of top 21 substantially seven-sixteenths inch and the upstanding legs of the guides 26 and 27 are spaced the same distance from the center of the holes so that the nails 15 enter the center of sticks 14 when pedal 24 forcibly moves block 35 toward block 30.

I claim:

1. A machine for inserting nails into opposite ends of a wooden member comprising a flat plate top, a fixed block secured to the top projecting upward, a movable block projecting upward from the top, means for guiding the movable block in alignment with the fixed block when it is moved toward the fixed block, upstanding member aligning means secured to the top providing a flat surface against which the member may be manually held extending longitudinally between the blocks, each block having a nail-holding hole therein in the surface thereof facing the other block and means for forcibly moving the movable block toward the fixed block.

2. A machine for inserting nails into opposite ends of an elongated wooden member comprising a flat plate top, a fixed block adjustably secured to the top projecting upward, a movable block projecting upward through a slot in the top, means for guiding the movable block in alignment with the fixed block when it is moved toward the fixed block, upstanding member aligning means adjustably secured to the top and providing a flat surface against which the member may be manually secured extending longitudinally between the blocks, each block having a horizontally extending hole therein in the surface thereof facing the other block for holding a portion of the nail to be inserted, a foot actuated lever, a pulley secured to the top, flexible means secured at one end to the lever, passing over the pulley, and secured at its other end to the movable block for forcibly moving the movable block toward the fixed block, and spring means for returning the movable block away from the fixed block. 

1. A machine for inserting nails into opposite ends of a wooden member comprising a flat plate top, a fixed block secured to the top projecting upward, a movable block projecting upward from the top, means for guiding the movable block in alignment with the fixed block when it is moved toward the fixed block, upstanding member aligning means secured to the top providing a flat surface against which the member may be manually held extending longitudinally between the blocks, each block having a nailholding hole therein in the surface thereof facing the other block and means for forcibly moving the movable block toward the fixed block.
 2. A machine for inserting nails into opposite ends of an elongated wooden member comprising a flat plate top, a fixed block adjustably secured to the top projecting upward, a movable block projecting upward through a slot in the top, means for guiding the movable block in alignment with the fixed block when it is moved toward the fixed block, upstanding member aligning means adjustably secured to the top and providing a flat surface against which the membeR may be manually secured extending longitudinally between the blocks, each block having a horizontally extending hole therein in the surface thereof facing the other block for holding a portion of the nail to be inserted, a foot actuated lever, a pulley secured to the top, flexible means secured at one end to the lever, passing over the pulley, and secured at its other end to the movable block for forcibly moving the movable block toward the fixed block, and spring means for returning the movable block away from the fixed block. 